Just Your Average Joe-Bama

Published August 4, 2009•Updated on December 19, 2012 at 11:45 am

Barack Obama's just a regular guy who likes his burgers, brews and BlackBerry.

79 photos

1/79

AP
President Barack Obama, right, and daughter Malia Obama, sing as Santa Claus arrives during the 90th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on the Ellipse south of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

2/79

AP
Even the President like to sing Christmas carols. Obama and daughter Malia, sing as Santa Claus arrives during the 90th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. Click to see more great photos of the president as the average joe.

3/79

KNBC-TV
President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Sasha, second from left, and Malia react as the girls flip the switch to light the National Christmas Tree.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Barack Obama, with daughter Malia, right, goes shopping at a small bookstore, One More Page, in Arlington, Va., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012.

6/79

ASSOCIATED PRESS
The President even enjoys Christmas decorations! Here you see his holiday spirit displayed in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012.

7/79

ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Barack Obama, next to daughter Sasha, and first lady Michelle Obama hand out food at the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. At right is the first lady's brother Craig Robinson.

8/79

AFP/Getty Images
On the road, the President enjoys the same foods as the rest of us. Here, president Barack Obama eats mint chocolate chip ice cream at Deb's Ice Cream & Deli in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

9/79

GettyImages
President Barack Obama enjoys fries as much as any other person. Here, the president has a meal at OMG Burger in Miami, Fla.

10/79

ASSOCIATED PRESS
The campaign trail keeps President Obama on the move and forces him to eat between campaign rallies. The president walks from Usinger's Sausage to his car while eating bratwurst in Milwaukee.

11/79

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes
President Barack Obama eats his snow cone at Tropical Sno in Denison, Iowa, during a three day campaign bus tour through Iowa.

12/79

NBC Chicago
He may have a White House chef but in honor of Father's Day President Obama went out for an impromptu barbecue lunch near the White House with two active duty members of the military and two local barbers.

13/79

Getty Images
The President ate a barbecue lunch of ribs, collard greens and corn bread at Kenny's BBQ while touting a mentoring initiative aimed at reaching out to fathers with positive parenting advice from barbers and barbershops.

14/79

Getty Images
For dim sum, President Obama picked up take-out from a restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown, one of the country's largest, on a visit to the city.

15/79

AFP/Getty Images
Outside, the president shook admirers' hands. He was in San Francisco for a fundraiser just after he met with China's vice president back in Washington.

16/79

AP
Even the president gets a hankering for some good home cooking. Obama orders at the takeout window at Nancy's Restaurant on Martha's Vineyard.

17/79

AP
The president had a golfing setback as he hit twice to get the ball out of the sand trap. Hey, we can't all be Tiger Woods.

18/79

Getty Images
Even the President needs some R&R. Obama looks happy to board a plane for vacation -- he will be spending ten days in Martha's Vineyard with his family.

19/79

AP
Every dog has his day, and today looks like Bo Obama's. The First Dog makes his way across the tarmac to fly to Martha's Vineyard.

20/79

AP
Barack Obama's just a regular guy who likes his burgers, brews and BlackBerry, and today he turns the big 5-0. "I feel real good" he said. "I've gotten a little grayer since I took this job, but otherwise, I feel pretty good."

21/79

Getty Images
Barack Obama and the first family hold hands as they walk across Pennsylvania Avenue while returning from a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church on October 11 in Washington, DC.

22/79

Eduardo Osorio
When asked about getting older Obama revealed that his wife, Michelle, has told him that she still thinks "I'm cute." "And I guess that's, that's all that matters, isn't it?" he said.

23/79

AP
Burgers represent all-American food so the President treated staffers, who have been working nonstop on the resolving the debt ceiling issue, to lunch at a DC burger joint owned by celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn.

Philadelphia Business Journal
The 6-foot-1 president won't let age get in his way. Obama has stuck to a regimen of near daily exercise that includes treadmill runs, weight lifting and weekend games of pickup basketball, golf or substitute coaching daughter Sasha's basketball team.This presidential dude may have some Lebowski in him yet.

26/79

Getty Images
When President Obama gets a birthday present, he tries it out right away—even if it's a fishing rod and he's inside the White House.

27/79

Kathleen Anderson
The President receives high fives after singing "Happy Birthday" to first lady Michelle Obama on her birthday.

28/79

Getty Images
President Barack Obama greets a young visitor in the Oval Office, Feb. 5.

29/79

Getty Images
Every man needs sustenance! Obama finds time for a snack and samples the produce at a supermarket following a town hall meeting.

30/79

Getty Images
The president has a habit of sampling local greasy-spoon delicacies — whether it's burgers, chili dogs, pastries or all of them. Here he prepares to relish a "medianoche" sandwich at a bakery in Puerto Rico on June 14, 2011—the first time a U.S. president had visited an island territory since John F. Kennedy.

31/79

Getty Images
The prez lives life like you and me—with a few presidential exceptions, of course. Most of us don't get applause at happy hour.

32/79

Getty Images
Obama bros down with his brethren and a pint of Guinness in his ancestral home of Moneygall, Ireland. "O'Bama" joked that he had "come home to find the apostrophe we lost somewhere along the way."

33/79

Getty Images
President Barack Obama not only shoots hoops, but gets in on the NCAA action. Obama even made predictions on the men's Final Four. March Madness pool, anyone?

34/79

Getty Images
Decisions, decisions. Obama shops at a hardware store for gardening gloves for First Lady Michelle in June 2011. Does he help pull weeds, too?

35/79

Getty Images
Obama likes staying in touch, but he gets to check his Blackberry from Air Force One instead of from a middle seat on a commercial 747.

36/79

The White House
We like to think that President Barack Obama and White House staffers are gathered around the computer watching the latest YouTube hit in this photo. It's just another day aboard Air Force One.

37/79

FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images
7-year-old Niko Letterlough gets a fit bump from President Obama. Letterlough said he wants to play a game of foosball with the president... and would even let him win.

38/79

Getty Images
President Obama and celebrity chef Bobby Flay are buds. Perhaps the leader of the free world can convince Flay to open one of his famous Burger Palace restaurants in the DC area?

39/79

AP
Washington, D.C., is fertile ground for political battles as well as burger wars—and Obama seems to be trying them all. Here, he takes a bite at Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, Va.

40/79

Getty Images
Obama showed up at the Five Guys in Navy Yard for a couple of patties with cheese, jalapenos, tomato and mustard.

41/79

Getty Images
Obama orders a corned beef on rye at Jerry's Famous Deli in Miami in August 2010. So does Kendrick Meek, then Miami's Democratic Congressman.

42/79

Getty Images
President Barack Obama gets leash duty and takes Bo for a brisk jog on the White House lawn. But something tells us there's a pooper scooper in the wings.

43/79

The White House
Fish don't just bite for anyone—even if you are the president. Even Obama is bound to get a little excited after hooking a trout in Montana.

44/79

AP
Basketball is Obama's sport of choice. Here, he finds time between meetings in New York to squeeze in a game.

45/79

Getty Images
This sports fanatic is passing on his love for competition to his oldest daughter Malia.

Getty Images
Even the president can't win 'em all. Obama's opening pitch at the Major League Baseball All-Star game in 2009 made it over the plate, but his jeans were not a home run. "I'm a little frumpy," he admitted.

48/79

The White House
Even the president has to pay for his family's ice cream.

49/79

EFE
President Barack Obama plays peek-a-boo with Maeve Beliveau, the daughter of Director of Advance Emmett Beliveau, in the Outer Oval Office.

50/79

Getty Images
President Obama plays tourist in the city where he lives, taking his extended family on a visit to Washington's monuments.

51/79

NBC Bay Area
President Barack Obama has his bad golf days, too. Like when he hits the ball into the woods... on Martha's Vineyard. Rough.

52/79

EFE
Just like your average guy, President Barack Obama tosses the ball around to relax... in the Oval Office.

53/79

Getty Images for Anheuser-Busch
Nice head. Golden color. Barack Obama enjoys a cool one like the rest of us.

54/79

North Madison Volunteer Fire Company Facebook
Who likes cheesesteak? Obama sure does! While campaigning, he stopped by Pat's King of Steaks in Philadelphia for a signature cheesesteak.

Morgan Howard
Barack likes to throw back a few beers at the game. Sure, his seats are probably better than your average Joe's, but he's into the action just as much as the next guy as the Washington Wizards face the Chicago Bulls.

57/79

Getty Images
OK, so he's no Tiger Woods, but the president likes to hit the links as much as the next guy. If only we could drop his name to get a better tee time.

58/79

AP
President Barack Obama poses with a group of kids at a Boys and Girls Club where he read a Christmas book and gave out gingerbread cookies.

59/79

AFP/Getty Images
Long weekend! President Barack Obama packs up the family for a weekend getaway to Chicago.

60/79

Getty Images
Barack Obama likes to gab on his cell just as much as the next guy. The only difference is he's got a driver and someone to hold the door for him. How do we get that?! Oh right, become president.

61/79

The White House
Like any family man, President Barack Obama enjoys spending time relaxing with his family. Although not everyone gets to crash on a couch in the Oval Office!

62/79

NBC 7 Staff
He shoots, he scores! When it comes to b-ball, Obama has follow through. 2 points, Mr. Prez.

63/79

NBC 7 Staff
President Barack Obama stops to talk with families after playing basketball at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C.

64/79

WDIV/Jason Colthrop
Dude, call me! Even President Obama has to lobby for folks to pick up the phone and give him a shout.

65/79

AP
A family man through and through, Barack gives Michelle a peck on the nose after his acceptance speech on election night.

66/79

Kathleen Warner
There's no such thing as a free lunch, even for the President. Obama foots the bill for his lunch with the mayor at Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, DC.

67/79

Kathleen Warner
The man's gotta eat. Barack Obama chows down on his chili half smoke. That's what we call a Presidential pig out!

68/79

AP
We all have those days... even the President.

69/79

Getty Images
Nice shot! Barack Obama cheers Sasha on at a carnival game at the Iowa State Fair. We wonder if he got stuck carrying around some oversized teddy bear for the rest of the day. Doubtful.

70/79

NBCConnecticut.com
Barack Obama sweats like everybody else.

71/79

Getty Images
President Barack Obama puts on his game face with daughter, Sasha, during a card game on the campaign trail in July 2007.

72/79

Getty Images
It's family night! Barack Obama grabs a bite with his family at Jorge's Sombrero in Pueblo, Colorado while on the campaign trail.

73/79

The White House
President Barack Obama hangs on to his prize football while making an important phone call in the Oval Office.